Sir Alex Ferguson says Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson has sought to end speculation about Cristiano Ronaldo’s future by insisting that the Portugal forward will be staying at Manchester United after holding long-awaited talks with the player.

Ferguson met with Ronaldo in Lisbon on Monday when both manager and player made clear their views on a matter that has dominated the headlines this summer.

Although Ferguson would not go into detail about the lengthy discussions, the United manager claimed that they were “very amicable” and stressed that the player would not be sold to Real Madrid this summer.

Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to move to Spain, even likening his situation at Old Trafford to slavery in a remark that was dimly received by the club’s supporters, but Ferguson has moved to draw a line under the affair.

“The meeting went well,” Ferguson, who was speaking after arriving in Cape Town for the first leg of United’s pre-season tour of South Africa, said.

“We both made our points of view about where we stand and where the player stands. And what I can say is that he will be a Manchester United player next summer. That’s our stance, he won’t be sold.”

Reports had emanated that Ferguson would travel to Portugal to see Ronaldo during the European Championship finals last month but the manager was adamant that he never had any intention of disrupting his summer holiday in the south of France.

And with Ronaldo only 12 months into his £120,000-a-week five-year contract, Ferguson is convinced that there is no case to answer. “It’s not a difficult position for us,” he said. “I don’t know where people get these things from. I was on my holiday and I was not going to interrupt my holiday – believe me!

“For the simple reason that the boy is under contract. The strength and the rights are with Manchester United. What we have done well is to say nothing and keep our own counsel and keep our position private. What I said to Cristiano will remain private.

“I went to see him in Portugal. It was very amicable and there were on problems so therefore we carry on. There is no problem for Manchester United or the manager.”

Ronaldo has ambitions to play for Real Madrid and has resolutely refused to end speculation surrounding his future, despite scoring 42 goals for United last season, winning the Premier League and collecting a Champions League winners' medal.

Ferguson has been incensed by Ronaldo’s behaviour in recent weeks – from the initial flirting with Real to the crass suggestion that he felt like a “slave” at United – while the player and his entourage have encouraged the perception, accurate or otherwise, that he has been hurt by his manager’s “rot in the stands” comment six weeks ago and by a lack of direct contact with regard to the ankle operation that could keep him out of action until early October.

Two summers ago, when Ronaldo was again making eyes at Real while fearing the fallout from his involvement in Wayne Rooney’s red card for England against Portugal in the World Cup quarter-final, Ferguson succeeded in persuading him to return to Old Trafford.

As for the player's injury, Ferguson said: "He is on crutches for the first four weeks and will be in rehabilitation for the next four weeks. Then the following four weeks he will be back into football training. The time mapped out is three months and we won't bring him back a day earlier than that.

"I think when players have operations we have a responsibility that the player comes back 100 per cent and we will carry that out as we normally do.

"There will be no risk-taking; we never take risks. Our goal is to always make sure that the player gets back 100 per cent and that will be the same in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo."

The FA have charged Patrice Evra, the Manchester United defender, and Sam Bethell, the Chelsea groundsman, with improper conduct, following the Barclays Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on April 26.

Bethell has also been charged with using abusive language aggravated by reference to nationality/race. Rio Ferdinand has been reminded of his responsibilities to the game.